


His Mighty Heart

by sedna_mode



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Blood and Injury, Happy Ending, Hunk saves the day, Hurt Hunk too but not as badly, Hurt Shiro (Voltron), I just tagged the ship cause that's how I see it, M/M, POV Hunk (Voltron), Shunk Week 2017, Team as Family, Whump, if people want to read this as gen they have my entire blessing, with help from Pidge and Lance and Keith of course
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-11-02 16:01:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10947903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sedna_mode/pseuds/sedna_mode
Summary: He had lost track of where he was on the Galra ship several hallways ago; all he knew was that he had to keep moving, had to get Shiro out.





	His Mighty Heart

**Author's Note:**

> My entry for Shunk week 2017 day 4: hurting/healing! This incorporates both prompts, cause I can't hurt my babies without healing them after :'))

A pained grunt emanated from the limp bundle that was Shiro across Hunk’s shoulders. Hunk tried to soften his steps to avoid hurting Shiro further. It was hard to strike the balance between haste and comfort; Hunk hated that he was likely aggravating already severe injuries, but he could hear running footsteps somewhere behind them. There was no other option.

“Nearly there, buddy, just hold on. Pidge! Where are you, we need an extraction like yesterday!”

Her voice crackled through his helmet; she sounded winded. “I’m working on it, we’re taking heavy fire out here. Keith, Lance, keep those fighters  _ off me! _ ”

“I’m trying, I’m trying! Keith, on your left!”

Hunk tuned out their chatter and concentrated on his own predicament. He had lost track of where he was on the Galra ship several hallways ago; all he knew was that he had to keep moving, had to get Shiro out. 

Shiro’s head was lolling dangerously, and Hunk could feel what had to be blood dripping down the back of his neck from the wound in Shiro’s side, mingling with the blood from the graze in Hunk’s temple. Shiro’s right arm, the one Hunk was holding to keep him in place, appeared to be broken; every step engendered a sickening grinding noise in the prosthetic. The arm had gotten tangled in wiring and wrenched in an unnatural direction when Shiro had fallen off the bridge. His roar of pain still echoed in Hunk’s ears.

Hunk came to a split in the corridor and paused for a second to consider his options. Both arms of the fork appeared deserted, but something about the left one felt better, so he chose it. He had learned years ago to always trust his gut. He readjusted his grip on Shiro’s broken arm, making sure he was still secure across his broad shoulders, and set off again, bayard at the ready in his free left hand.

“Guys,” he called to the team, “I could really use a map or something, I have no idea where I am.”

Coran’s voice came through the comms; in the background Hunk could hear Allura yelling and grunting as she piloted the Castle. “I’m sorry my boy, we’re a little tied up at the moment. I’ll do what I can to—Princess, watch out! Oh that was close—to direct you to an area where Pidge will be able to pick you up.”

“Just get anywhere that’s close to the outer hull,” interjected Pidge, “I can punch through and get you.”

Coran continued. “Alright. Keep walking along that corridor, then take a right at the next fork, then a left—Lance, behind you!—“ The line went dead; Hunk could almost see Coran juggling several screens at once, trying to cover every paladin. 

Keith took over. “Hunk, we’re coordinating a focused attack to break through the fighter lines so Pidge can get close enough to the transport. We’re locked on your signal so we know where to come get you.”

“Yeah, bud, you just worry about keeping yourself and Shiro alive,” Lance cut in, “leave the heroic rescue to us.”

“Easier said than done,” muttered Hunk.

He came to the end of the corridor and turned right as Coran had instructed; and narrowly avoided getting brained by a shot from a lone drone soldier a little ways up the hallway. Out of sheer reflex Hunk brought his bayard up and fired off a round, catching the drone square in the chest plate. 

Once it had fallen Hunk staggered back against the nearest wall, legs going to jelly. Distantly, he registered Shiro’s grunt when he hit the wall. Hunk’s bayard reverted to its basic form as he leaned forward, bracing his free hand against his knee and clutching Shiro tighter with the other. His vision went static-y around the edges and his breath came in short, ragged puffs. There was a ringing in his ears. 

That had been  _ too close _ .

He shook his head, trying to clear it and get his trembling under control. 

Behind him Shiro shifted. When Hunk looked down he saw one of Shiro’s eyes open (the other was swollen shut) and he seemed to be trying to lift his head up.

“H… Hu... I…”

“Sh, don’t move, don’t speak.” Hunk straightened up and squared his shoulders, setting off once more. “I’m getting you out of here, hun, you just sit tight.”

“I… m… sorry…”

“Ah-ah, can’t hear you.”

Shiro’s frame shook with what might have been a chuckle, though it quickly devolved into a cough, hacking and unpleasant. It took a few moments for Shiro to regain control of his breathing, and when the coughing subsided he spat out a wad of  _ something _ that splattered against the floor. Hunk winced.

“Seriously dude, you’re badly hurt. If you make it worse by trying to say dumb stuff like apologizing for something that isn’t your fault I won’t forgive you.”

Shiro just hummed, and Hunk could hear faint amusement hidden under the pain in his voice. The warm sound brought an answering smile to Hunk’s face.

“Pidge is on her way to pick us up, just a little longer.”

Shiro hummed again, softer, and then went quiet once more, his head lolling. If Hunk hadn’t had the biothermal readouts from Shiro’s suit projected onto the corner of his visor telling him Shiro was still alive, he would’ve worried Shiro had just slipped away.

Hunk’s back and legs were starting to ache from carrying Shiro for so long, but he was nearly there, he could feel it. Still following Coran’s directions he took the next left, though not before carefully scanning the area to make sure it was empty, and came into an open space that appeared to be storage.

Hunk’s comm crackled back to life and Pidge’s voice came through. “Alright Hunk, that’s a good spot. Get close to the far wall and be ready for a fast extraction, I’m coming in hot. Keith, Lance, you better be covering my butt.”

“Of course.”

“You know it! I’m always happy to cover your—“

“Lance!”

A dull thud against the side of the ship was the only warning Hunk got before the hull buckled inward under the force of a concentrated laser blast, the green lion’s head appearing in the breach. Alarms started wailing as the ship’s air escaped through the hole. The gust nearly dislodged Shiro from Hunk’s grip, but he managed to hold on.

Green’s mouth opened and Pidge hopped out to help Hunk up the ramp. Once in the cockpit he barely had time to carefully lower Shiro to the ground before Pidge was pulling Green out of the ship and turning around.

“What happened to our lions?” Hunk pulled his helmet off to prod at the gash in his temple, trying to gauge how bad it was.

“They’re ok,” said Pidge as she maneuvered them out into open space to join the red and blue lions, “we retrieved them after you guys missed the rendezvous. They’re back at the castle.”

Lance’s worried face appeared on a screen on Pidge’s dashboard. “Did you get them? Are they ok?”

“Yes to the first one, and for the second one…” Pidge cast a quick glance at Shiro and Hunk, taking in the blood stains covering both of them, Hunk’s gash, the hole in Shiro’s side, the awkward angle of his arm. “No. We’ll need a couple healing pods prepped ASAP.”

“On it,” came Coran’s voice. “Pull back to the Castle, paladins, it’s time to get out of here.”

“New wave of fighters incoming,” warned Keith. “We need to MOVE! Pidge, go ahead, Lance and I will hold them off!”

Hunk let the battle fade to background noise, trusting that his team would get him home safe. He sat down heavily next to Shiro, legs all but giving out from exhaustion, and laid one hand over Shiro’s forehead. The other he pressed into the wound in Shiro’s side, trying to slow the bleeding.

“You did so well, hun, we’re nearly there.”

~

It was dark in the infirmary, the only light coming from the indicators on Shiro’s pod and the glowing strips along the base of the walls. Hunk was slumped at the foot of the active pod, snoring, blanket thrown over him haphazardly. Lance was curled into his side, sharing the blanket. Meanwhile Pidge was nestled against his chest and Keith was leaning against his other side.

Hunk had adamantly refused to go into a pod for his own injuries, insisting that he wanted to watch over Shiro. No amount of pleading or coaxing from Allura and Coran had convinced him otherwise, and eventually they had agreed to treat him the “human way.” 

Afterward he had parked himself in front of Shiro’s pod, soon joined by Keith. Lance and Pidge had appeared not long after with food and blankets and pillows, and the four of them had set up a makeshift nest at Shiro’s feet. For the first few hours Hunk and Pidge had worked on Shiro’s broken prosthetic while Lance and Keith watched, but eventually they had all grown too tired and fell asleep tangled together.

The soft hiss of the healing pod opening was loud enough to startle everyone awake, and Hunk jumped up just in time to catch Shiro as he slumped forward. Shiro blinked blearily several times at him, then smiled softly.

“Hey, you.”

Hunk smiled back, quickly trying to blink the tears out of his eyes. “Hey, you.”

“Shiro!” Pidge wriggled her way between them to wrap her arms around Shiro’s middle, hiding her face in his chest. She mumbled something unintelligible into his suit and squeezed tighter. 

Shiro chuckled and wrapped his left arm around her in a hug, leaving the right one around Hunk. The absence of Shiro’s hand was something Hunk was used to by now. “Hey, Pidge. Sorry I worried you.”

“Man,” said Lance with a watery smile, “don’t ever do that again, you hear me?” He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around both Hunk and Shiro’s shoulders. “And I mean both of you. You really scared me.”

Hunk knocked his head against Lance’s lightly and smiled apologetically at him, no words needed.

Keith was the last to join the hug, and Shiro let go of Hunk to invite Keith into the circle. Keith came willingly, silently pressing his face into Shiro’s neck and holding on tightly. Hunk clapped him on the back while Shiro rubbed his arm soothingly.

“Thank you, all of you,” Shiro spoke into the space formed between their bodies. “Thank you for getting me out.”

“Any time, man.” Lance beamed.

In the quiet that followed, Shiro’s eyes found Hunk’s and held them. Hunk smiled. Shiro smiled back.

They were home. 

All was well. 

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [Tumblr](http://ace-pidge.tumblr.com/)!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Back From the Wars](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11787495) by [yet_intrepid](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yet_intrepid/pseuds/yet_intrepid)




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